Emirates Maintaining Normal Service

24th Mar 2003

The airline urges passengers, as a precaution, to check departure times with their travel agent or with one of the airline`s call centres before leaving for the airport.

The carrier went live today with additional website pages, set up to provide information, updated regularly, on any changes which may be made to its scheduled flights as a result of military activity in the region.

Maurice Flanagan, Emirates Group Managing Director, said: “Safety remains a top priority. The airline is monitoring the situation in the region continuously to ensure the wellbeing of our flight and cabin crews and of our passengers in every way we can.

“We are using alternative routes where necessary. These are well-established and recognised as safe by all international aviation authorities. Emirates has never flown over Iraq, even under normal conditions, and none of our routes takes our aircraft near to that country.”

From Dubai, there are a number of different air routes eastwards and westwards which are long established and recognised by international authorities. An airline`s use of alternative routes is not restricted to times of conflict. Sometimes a routing is varied to avoid poor weather conditions.

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During the past few months, Emirates has prepared meticulous plans to route aircraft heading east and west along corridors which are safe and secure even in the event of military activity in Iraq. These options ensure that Emirates carries its passengers in safety and security, well clear from hostilities, to their destinations.

Flights to Europe, for example, can be routed north over Iran, Georgia and then west over the Black Sea or they can be routed over southern Saudi Arabia.